Category Archives: Eldar

2014 Hobby Year in Review

It’s almost the new year, so I think I’m contractually obligated to write up some kind of retrospective.  I started tracking my backlog (and therefore all hobbying) in January, and blogging in May, so I actually have a pretty good record.  In the last few weeks I’ve caught up with all the projects I completed in 2014 but hadn’t yet written up.

Overall stats

I started the year pretty deep in hobby debt, with a significant backlog from a store closing sale, and went deeper after buying a Space Marines Strikeforce for some Inquisition War projects.  I dug myself out, though, and worked all the way through the backlog.

Hobby Progress Burndown (Nov 2014)

  • 60 projects completed
  • 131 individual models
  • 94 infantry models (including 55 40k dudes, 6 40k characters, 17 Malifaux models and 16 Reaper Bones models)
  • 18 vehicles (14 40k, 4 non-game airplanes)
  • 19 markers, tokens, and the like
  • 6.7% of the Bones Kickstarter models completed
  • New workspace, with much more functional desk, shelves, and paint racks
  • Exclusively used painted models in every game

Warhammer 40,000

Revenant Header

The Warzone Harat three-part campaign finished up in January.  The finale was an apoc-style event, which got me to buy and paint up a Revenant Titan, my first experience with Forge World.  The other big ongoing event was the Inquisition War campaign at Endgame, which gave me the excuse to paint up old Necromunda models as the Inquisitor and retinue, and finally do the Deathwatch Kill Team I’ve been considering for ages.

In addition, I had a pretty large backlog to work through, which meant quite a bit of Ultramarines, Dark Eldar, and Eldar got hobbied.

Malifaux

terrortot_headerI’d been contemplating adding a second miniatures game into the mix, but had never pulled the trigger.  Early in the year I got a demo of Malifaux.  Then, Wyrd’s summer painting contest convinced me to pick up and paint a box.  Once that was done, I had no choice but to play.

Since then, I’ve built up a decent selection of models.  I still don’t really know what I’m doing, but I get more confident with every game.

Reaper Bones

I participated in the first Reaper Bones Kickstarter back in 2012, which was delivered in 2013, and I finally started painting in 2014.  For a while I was trying to do one per Thursday (Random Rursday), but that stopped being fun, so I stopped.  I’m still painting them when the urge hits me, and keep a couple primed on standby.

Scale Aircraft

Scale models header

I got back into miniature wargaming a few year ago through scale models.  The nice thing about wargaming is that it has a built-in excuse to show off your work.  I only found a little time for it this year, but like the results.

Looking to 2015

Malifaux is occupying most of my miniatures brain these days.  I’ve got a pretty decent backlog already which will probably take me through February or so.

I’m going to Adepticon in March.  I’m signed up for a mix of 40k, Malifaux, and hobby seminars.  I haven’t decided what, if any, hobby goals I have ahead of the con.  If I want to do anything special (build out my Deathwatch for Combat Patrol, maybe?), I need to get serious about it soon.

Beyond that, it’s hard to say.  I have a hard time imagining myself starting a new 40k army at this point, but I can see myself building my existing ones out.  I have an desire to complete the Neverborn faction in Malifaux (well, the plastics, anyways).  I get to play few enough games that I worry I won’t understand all the rules, much less actually play with them.  Or maybe I should collect masters instead of factions.

I’ve also got my eye on both Dropzone Commander and Firestorm Armada, but I’m pretty sure I already have too many games…

Eldar: Rangers

I bought these Eldar Rangers in the same store closing sale as a number of other models about a year ago.  They are Finecast, and were a big pain to clean up.  Most of the gems has some kind of flash on them, for example.

I painted them months ago.  Looking at them now, that pain has mostly faded and I’m really happy with how they look.

Rangers (group one, front)
Rangers (group one, front)

The blue cloaks are the Reaper Ultramarine Blue colors I’ve been using as the accent color for both Eldar and Dark Eldar.  As I recall, I airbrushed everything blue shades and mids, then highlighted the cloaks and painted the orange armor, helmet, gun, and details by hand.

Rangers (group two, front)
Rangers (group two, front)

It makes for a pretty bad camouflage, but I really like the striking difference in the color.  The armor also ties nicely into the rest of the army.

Rangers (group two, back)
Rangers (group two, back)

The details on the rear are probably the weakest parts, but also the parts hit hardest by the cast quality.

Rangers (detail)
Rangers (detail)

I’m very happy with how this unit turned out, despite how much I hated them at the time.

Eldar: Wave Serpent

Naturally, the Guardians needed something to ride around in.  I painted this model months ago, but haven’t had the chance to show it off much.

Wave Serpent (right)
Wave Serpent (right)

It doesn’t totally come across in the pictures, but I think the shading I did with the airbrush worked pretty well on this model.  It’s subtle, but it helps to keep the model from looking too flat.

Wave Serpent (front)
Wave Serpent (front)

The weapons are, as usual, magnetized.  The shuriken cannon/catapult was kind of a pain, since it’s designed to pop onto a pivot point, the magnet needs to be on the inside of the U.  I ended up cutting it with a razorsaw, putting in the magnet, and gluing it back together.  The seam is behind and under, so I didn’t worry too much about the seam being a little visible.

Wave Serpent (rear)
Wave Serpent (rear)

While priming and airbrushing I just attached the top hull with blue tack.  This let me do the shading with the natural shadows of the model, but still easily get to the engines without spoiling the orange.

Wave Serpent (left)
Wave Serpent (left)

Eldar: Guardians

These guys are part of the first reinforcements for my Eldar allies force.  I should get a different color background to photograph against, so the white helmets and guns don’t get lost.

Eldar Guardians (first half, front)
Eldar Guardians (first half, front)

The heavy weapon platform is magnetized, and the weapons can be swapped with War Walkers

Eldar Guardians (first half, back)
Eldar Guardians (first half, back)

I’ve gone for painting all the blisters on my Eldar as gems in a couple colors.  I think it adds a nice bit of detail.

Eldar Guardians (second half, front)
Eldar Guardians (second half, front)

This is a pretty old kit, but it goes together pretty well.  The arms are matched, but once you cut them off the sprue it’s hard to see which goes with which.  Since I generally don’t glue on arms until after I’m done painting, I need to keep track of it through priming and painting until I get to final assembly.  I ended up sketching out each pair’s defining characteristics (the pendant and arm angles, mostly).

Eldar Guardians (second half, back)
Eldar Guardians (second half, back)